Celeste
by TheSecretPrestige
Summary: OC. When a girl with no memories is brought to Konoha, dark forces begin to stir. The girl gives love and perspective through her hatred, but no matter what, death follows her. What would you do to get the power to rule the world?


**Author's Note: **Yes, I am aware that neither Lyra nor Calypso are of Japanese origin. I felt that it was just another way to set them apart from the others, seeing as the names are Greek and, in my opinion, elegant. The basic character of Lyra was inspired by the movie Princess Mononoke, as I admired the way Miyazaki portrayed San's (the heroine) strength and beauty. Lyra's fighting style also stems from San, who contains a fierce grace that intrigued me. If there are any questions regarding the story, please ask. You may either send me a private message, or leave a question in a review, which I shall answer with a private message. Thank you:)

**Additional Information: **I really liked _tranquilwriter_'s layout for one of her stories, I can't remember which one (I was story-surfing)... but I borrowed her idea of a quote that correlates to the chapter's name/overall theme. I just wanted to award proper kudos!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or the song featured in this story, "Wind" by Akeboshi. I do, however, own Lyra and Calypso.

* * *

**Celeste **

**Chapter I: Nameless **

**命****.****魂****.****力 **

_**

* * *

**__"What's in a name? That which we call a rose_

_by any other word would smell as sweet." _

_-Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2_

_

* * *

_

_Stealth. The ability to melt into the background, to ooze by unnoticed, to disappear without a trace. The ones who would survive would always be the ones who could simply fade into their surroundings, who could transform into a chameleon._

_This flashed through the figure's mind as it leapt from its perch in the arms of an oak. In an instant, the shadow tucked into a back flip and landed neatly upon the balls of its feet, its spry actions stealthy enough to not attract attention. The cloak concealing the figure flapped slightly at the sudden loss of movement, the red clouds floating by on an inky backdrop of cloth. The small figure raised its head, the tinkling of bells echoing through the forlorn forest as a result. Between the high neck of the cloak and the edge of the conical hat, the only visible characteristic of the figure was its eyes._

_Its silver eyes._

I started forward, breathing heavily. Quickly surveying the barely discernable mass of trees surrounding me, I attempted to calm my racing heart. With only the moon to provide light, night was the worst time to relax for someone like me; night was the time when attacks were cunningly planned, when indescribably despicable acts happened, where misdeeds were acted upon or avenged.

Behind me, my pillow growled. I turned slightly to see Calypso's face, her aquamarine eyes narrowed in concern.

"We are secure. It was just the dream." I knew that this worried Calypso, but she would have known if I had attempted to lie. The white tiger was extremely perceptive, even more so as we had been together since my first recollection. Calypso was my only companion; she understood the boundaries that were in her best interest to avoid.

I settled back into her warm side and hesitantly closed my eyes once more. This particular dream was not a new occurrence. Every so often, the dream would haunt me, taunting my curiosity. The only aspect of the convoluted scene in my mind that made any sense, that was recognizable of sorts, was the shadowy figure's eyes.

They were exactly like mine.

I nestled farther into Calypso's side and attempted to still my flitting emotions. Fear, confusion, and suspicion were soon replaced with a drowsy prayer to make it through the night.

The image of the figure's silver eyes lingered as I began to slumber.

* * *

Nothing could compare to the exhilarating feeling of riding Calypso. Her lean body sped through the foliage, a blur of white among the green scenery. It provided an excellent span of time to ponder the significance of that accursed dream. Who was the figure in the forest? Surely no one I knew. I had never garnered a human companion, or – dare I say – a friend. No village wanted a wild girl who could remember nothing of her past. So instead of a friend or a village, I spent my time running from those whose only goal was to eradicate my existence in revenge.

When I had realized that my life would always be devoid of any friendly human contact, I decided that I would never have to be dependent upon anyone but Calypso. But I made an appealing target, in more ways than one. Or at least that's what I was told by the four men who cornered me in the woods one night, when Calypso was hunting and I was alone.

I killed four that night.

That had all happened when I had been weak. I wasn't strong enough to defend myself before I fell victim at the hands of the depraved monsters.

If I had my way, I would have killed five.

Calypso had felt my panicked emotions through our ability to understand another's thoughts, and raced back to our campsite. She saved me that night, but not before my innocence was stolen.

That was the night I tried to kill myself. It was also the night I first had the dream.

Afterwards, I locked away all emotions, save anger and hatred. I became a shell, training every day; it helped me ignore the urge to pull out a dagger and slit my wrist once more. Soon, however, I became strong. The four shinobi I had killed were important and well liked, and their village began the hunt for my head.

Soon it was no longer safe for me to wander towards human establishments; who hadn't heard the tales of the raven-haired, silver-eyed girl with the white tiger?

I was objectified that night I was attacked. But the confidence that came with strength was the same that restored my identification, my self-worth.

To the world, I am the Tiger's Shadow. To myself, I am Lyra.

_We must rest._ I could hear Calypso's thoughts, and she mine. Calypso and I were one; we had gone through too much to be regarded as otherwise.

_Yes._ My response was adequately understood, as Calypso broke free from the forest's constraints and entered a large clearing with a crystalline lake gracing its dimensions. Wasting no time, I slid off Calypso's back and headed straight for the water. Calypso watched at I unceremoniously thrust my face in, gulping down the cool liquid.

After awhile my slurps ceased, and I stood up, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. Leaping to a rock at the far end of the water, I sat and watched as Calypso paced the lake's shore. With a growl and a lunge, she tore into the water, snapping up the fish that were too slow to escape the tigress' wrath.

I sprawled out on the rock, loving the feel of the warm sun and the cool breeze, contradictory yet perfectly complimentary. Looking over the edge of the stone slab, I watched the water ripple pleasantly. It was days like this when I could forget myself and just _breathe._

My bow and quiver were pulled off of my back and placed on an adjacent rock. Still on my stomach, I propped my head up on my folded arms and was amused by the sight of Calypso now batting the fish in the air with her oversized paws. _Why are we so hated and feared for killing them?_ I couldn't help but ask myself. _We just want to live._

Sitting back up, I drew my knees to my chest, not paying attention to my dress pooling around my waist. I smiled for the first time in days. _You know what I miss the most about having free time, Calypso? The ability to make music-of-the-mouth._ Drawing a breath, I began to sing.

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei, are we _there_ yet? I wanna take some bandits down!"

Uzumaki Naruto was impatient to say the least.

"Naruto, shut up before I punch the kyuubi out of you," growled Sakura. Naruto pouted, but stopped. Knowing her, Sakura would find a way to act upon her threat.

"Okay, okay, Sakura-chan. No need to get hasty," said Kakashi with a tilt of the head and the crinkling of an eye. "Naruto, we'll be there in about four hours. And," he said as Naruto opened his mouth to complain, "If you start to whine, I'll let Sakura-chan use you as a punching bag. Just saying, okay, Naruto?"

"… Go back to reading your porn, Kakashi-sensei."

"I would love to. How are you holding up, Sakura, Sasuke-kun?"

Sakura gave Kakashi a smile while Sasuke merely grunted. The team was flying through the treetops, attempting to reach the sight of a bandit attack on the westernmost edge of Fire Country.

After several more minutes of Naruto and Sakura bickering, Kakashi-sensei refereeing their shouting matches, and Naruto attempting, and failing, to instigate an argument with Sasuke, the ninja suddenly pulled to a stop, causing Naruto to skid and fall off of a tree branch.

"Ne, you guys, what was that about?" whined Naruto, an incredulous look upon his face, his hand rubbing the back of his head.

"It figures you'd be the only one to not notice. There are two presences ahead of us, and one of them…" Sakura trailed off, her face contorted in shock.

"What, Sakura-chan?" whispered Naruto, completely lost.

"I sense it too, Sakura," muttered Kakashi. "That's the largest amount of chakra I've ever seen coming from one person. Naruto, whoever this is has more chakra than _you._ We need to scout the area ahead and report what we find to Tsunade."

"Kakashi's right. Let's see if we can't figure out some details regarding this situation." Sasuke spoke for the first time in hours, his words quiet yet commanding.

"Naruto, Sasuke, you guys go ahead. I need to talk to Sakura about this thing's chakra levels," Kakashi ordered.

Naruto nodded, a determined look on his face, while Sasuke turned away, and without further ado, flew off.

* * *

"Sasuke, do you hear singing?"

Naruto paused with his head cocked towards the clearing. Faint strains of a female singer's voice floated by, enticing his ears.

Sasuke was also extremely intrigued by the singer. From his spot in the trees, it appeared that the soft stanzas were emitted from a girl by the lake.

"_Cultivate your hunger, before you idealize,_

_Motivate your anger to make them all realize,_

_Climbing the mountain, never coming down,_

_Break into the contents, never falling down."_

Sasuke crouched there, his eyes never straying from the singer. The last time he had heard singing like this was the day before his mother died.

It was her favorite song.

From what Sasuke could see and hear, this girl could rival his mother in both talent _and_ looks. Her lush, dark black hair was concealing most of her face, flowing down her back. In contrast, her skin was a milky white, unusual for this region. As Sasuke watched, the girl's singing faded, her hair moving to frame her face as she tilted her head up. She opened her eyes, revealing quicksilver irises. And then he knew _exactly _who this girl was.

"Sasuke, lookit! She has a tiger! Or maybe it's not her tiger? What if she gets eaten?"

The loudmouthed blonde's voice snapped Sasuke from his reverie. Glaring at Naruto in vexation, Sasuke was considering punching him in the face. "Shut up, you idiot! What if she hears you?"

Completely disregarding what Sasuke said, Naruto gasped and flailed his arms wildly to further emphasize his point. "What if the person with the massive chakra levels attacks her? We need to go save her!" Naruto jumped down from the tree and ran towards the girl.

"That moron…" muttered Sasuke in a slight panic as he watched from his perch in the tree. If his suspicions were correct, the girl wasn't in any danger from the person with the large amount of chakra… not if this was really the girl he thought it was.

Naruto ran towards the girl and the tiger, yelling and waving at the girl in an attempt to gain her attention. With a sharp snap of her neck, the girl turned her silver eyes onto the ignorant Jinchuuriki. A low growl sounded in her throat as she leapt up. In the blink of an eye, her bow was in her hands and her quiver on her back. Naruto halted as he spied the girl's actions. "What…"

With a vicious cry that sent shivers down Sasuke's spine, the girl leapt into the air and shot a glowing arrow at Naruto's head. He ducked, turning just in time to watch the arrow blow straight through a tree.

Sasuke stared. _I believe my assumptions were correct. Say hello to the Tiger's Shadow, Naruto._

_

* * *

_

_Calypso, steel yourself. If you must, kill without hesitation. _My intentions were clear, my stance ready. These were ninja.

"Hey, what was that for?" The obnoxious blonde kid whined at me. I snarled. "Leave, shinobi. I shall not repent for their deaths— if I must, you shall die by my hand as well." The blonde's eyes widened at this. "Wait, what? You killed somebody?" As his cerulean orbs met my silver ones, a sudden spark of understanding came across his scrunched features.

"We heard about you, the silver-eyed girl. You were the one who killed one of our best ninja teams." It was a statement, not a question. My brow quirked at his accusation. "I know naught regarding their abilities. But I shall not deny the truth; I killed four monsters."

The blonde glared at me. "It doesn't matter if you understand or not. Those men had families!" He started to shake.

"Don't you _dare _call them men. I did their families a favor by extinguishing those pathetic excuses for human life."

_Lyra, calm yourself. Do not allow the boy to best you like this, _Calypso thought. I slowed my thoughts, returning my face to the stoic mask of before.

Before I could kill the boy, two people appeared in front of his trembling form. Startled, I stepped back, nudging Calypso's stiff form. She growled. _It's three to two, Lyra. Stay your hand and remain alert. _I silently agreed, and examined my opponents. The first appeared to be around the age of thirty, despite his gray-silver mane and lazy stance. The second one… had pink hair. Although my appearance remained unmarred, I inwardly smirked.

"Naruto, calm down. You can't win this fight alone— this girl is not a force to reckoned with," the gray-haired one cautioned. Obviously this man was smart.

"But Kakashi-sensei, it's just a girl and her pet! We can just capture the girl and kill the tiger—" The blonde stopped when I growled. "If you lay a hand on Calypso, I shall personally tear you limb from miserable limb." Who were these people, to encroach upon my peace and threaten the only one I held dear?

"Not that's something I would enjoy watching." A low voice sounded from directly to my left. Reacting swiftly, I pulled my dagger from its sheath strapped to my thigh and slashed at the dark-haired boy next to me. Moving so quickly it appeared that he teleported; the boy effectively dodged the furious attack. I pursued him as the boy tore across the water, leaving Calypso to engage the others.

With a twang of the bowstring, I let three arrows loose at once. The heads of the arrows glowed with a faint golden aura. I didn't exactly understand what it was per se, but I knew that I could summon this strange power if I focused my energy in a particular spot of my body, in this case the hand that pulled the bowstring. I watched as the boy skillfully dodged the arrows, throwing several kunai in retaliation. Flipping almost gracefully, I crouched as I landed and sped towards the boy. As he pulled out a kunai, and I pulled my dagger, the furious clang of weapons colliding was heard over Calypso's roars and the blonde one's shouts. As I skidded back over the water from the intensity of the boy's parries, I smirked. _This one is skilled,_ I thought to Calypso. _And your opponents?_

_The gray-haired one is much more capable than he appears. The pink-haired girl is relatively useless, though she has a massive strength. And the blonde-haired boy is too well ruled by his emotions; it's not a challenge to manipulate him._

_Understood. If you must, pull back. I don't want you to suffer any injuries,_ I replied, caught up in my fight but still worried for my counterpart. I charged the boy once more, jumping right before I reached him. Sailing overhead, I shot off an arrow, aiming for his neck. He sliced the arrow in half with his kunai, and formed several hand seals in rapid succession. Although I didn't understand what the hand signs were for, I had seen others use them in combat; it was in my best interest to get away _now._

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" A searing heat followed me as I sprinted from the boy. Springing off of a tree trunk, I twisted, watching from the air as a gigantic fireball roared past, engulfing said tree in flames.

Landing, I faced the boy just in time to watch a canister land at my feet. With a hiss, it burst open, releasing some sort of a cloudy gas. A couple seconds later, my senses became cloyed with a sickly sweet sensation. I slowly sank to my knees, my grip on my bow slackening. It was a fight to keep my eyes open as I heard Calypso roar. _Lyra… what is this? I can't… think…_

I saw the hazy form of the boy stand over me, a blurry smirk on his face. "Specialized Konoha knockout gas," he said, anticipating my confusion. "Incapacitating agents are a bitch, aren't they?"

"You… bastard…" I managed to whisper before slumping over. I felt his arms encircle me before I hit my head.

"I prefer Uchiha, if you don't mind," the boy said right before I succumbed to the drowsiness.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

"Kakashi, how is she?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Sakura said that she'll be awake in another hour or so, but I believe that she will be alert and kicking sooner than that. One thing I can tell you is that this girl's a fighter, Tsunade. She's almost exactly like Naruto."

Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples. "Because another Naruto is exactly what we need," she muttered dryly. "Send someone for me when she's up. We'll need to interrogate her regarding the four shinobi killed a year ago. If this is indeed the one we're looking for, I have to know as soon as possible. Understand?"

Kakashi sighed. "Tsunade, I can tell you with the utmost certainty that this is the Tiger's Shadow. Her fighting style is completely unique, and her chakra levels are _scary._ Not to mention the massive white tiger that follows her everywhere."

Glancing at the copy-nin, Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Peace, Kakashi. All will be confirmed in due time." And with that, she strolled from the room.

Kakashi leaned against the wall of the hospital room, watching the girl quietly. It almost would have been a normal scene, if not for the heavy metal cuffs attached to the girl's wrists, and underneath those blankets, her ankles, not to mention the ANBU team stationed directly outside her window, out of sight but definitely not out of mind.

Kakashi stepped from the wall to the foot of the bed. Picking up the girl's case file and flipping through a couple pages, he frowned. There was almost no information regarding the girl.

Before he could delve deeper into the contents of the folder, the girl stirred, groggily opening her eyes. Kakashi understood the feeling of waking up from the gas; a nasty encounter with a genin and a _very _sensitive canister had taught him that the heavy-headedness was unavoidable. But somehow this girl immediately shot up, stopping short due to the cuffs. Her eyes latched onto him as he stared, slightly shocked. As the ANBU operatives materialized around the girl, prepared to restrain her if necessary, her eyes narrowed.

"You." The word was spit as a weapon, aimed directly at him. "What did you do to my Calypso?" Her voice was scratchy due to the knockout gas she had inhaled, but the threat was implicit.

Kakashi took a moment to answer. "If you're referring to your pet, the tiger is fine. She was under the same gas as you were, and is now locked in a secure room at ANBU headquarters." The girl visibly relaxed at this, yet her eyes were still narrowed.

"If she doesn't remain fine, I will escape these bonds and destroy this 'ANBU headquarters' brick by brick, and kill anyone who gets in my way." It was said bluntly, without inflection, although Kakashi had no doubts that she meant what she said.

"Duly noted," he muttered. "I'm under orders to watch over you while we send someone to collect Hokage-sama, so you will have to behave yourself for the time being, or I shall be forced to dispose of your pet. Have we reached an understanding?"

The girl blanched at this, but nodded, her hands fisting the bed's sheets. "Very well," Kakashi asserted. "Please remain calm, and I guarantee our ANBU operatives shall not act rashly."

* * *

"Name?" Tsunade asked briskly, her hand poised to write. Kakashi leaned forward, intent on hearing everything. The girl hesitated for a moment before answering. "Lyra. Only Lyra." Tsunade's eyebrows shot up. "Hn. Not a Fire Nation name." Lyra mimicked Tsunade, raising her eyebrows. "As far as I'm concerned, not a name of any nation. I don't know where I was born, or who birthed me."

Underneath his mask, Kakashi frowned. "Do you remember anything? Siblings, friends, caretakers, _anyone?"_

Lyra paused to stare directly at him, her silver eyes piercing. "I have no memories until around the age of six. My only family is Calypso; I was never around long enough to meet someone who truly cared; and I took care of myself."

"So you really had no one to depend on, eh? That's… unusual. What about academics? Any education at all?" Tsunade pressed.

"I would occasionally find a lost scroll if I was using a main road, but I stopped that practice a year ago. My education has been piecemeal, but I know the basics. Arithmetic, reading, that sort of thing."

"I see. Pray, how old were you when you first met our men?" Tsunade questioned.

Immediately, the girl tensed up, Kakashi noted. "… I was fifteen. Nine months, twenty-three days ago," she murmured. Tsunade nodded smartly, recording this with a flourish of her hand. "Tell me, Lyra. Why did you kill them?" Lyra turned her head sharply, her hands clawing at the grayish-blue hospital sheets. "I want those ANBU men to leave," she demanded suddenly. "Only you and the lazy one may stay." Kakashi smirked, despite the situation.

As the ANBU operatives filed out of the room, Lyra relaxed slightly. "I know that they can still hear from the hallway," she said, answering Kakashi's questioning gaze, "but had they stayed, I shan't have held back in the task of physical harm towards your men; I don't trust them to behave when I explain my side of the story. After all, these men were their friends, were they not?"

Tsunade nodded, her curiosity piqued. Lyra settled back into her pillow, her head turned to watch the birds through the window. "You must understand," she said suddenly, "that you will not appreciate, or likely believe, what I am about to tell you. Please hold your judgments until I am finished with my bit."

When no protests were uttered, Lyra took a deep breath. "Calypso and I had just stopped in a forest. She was several miles away, hunting, as the forest was barren and no game was to be found. I should have known what was to come, " she muttered bitterly. "It truly was a forest of demons.

"The men came suddenly, surrounding me, caging me in. There was a tall, thin one, a rotund, brown-haired one, and a gaunt, empty-looking one that followed a single man, a stocky one of around forty. He was the one who approached me first. He told me that pretty girls like me shouldn't travel alone, because bad things happened to people when they were alone. He told me that I would have to be punished, for not having someone to protect me. He told me that… he would have to show me what happened to girls when they were alone.

There was a hard note of acceptance in Lyra's voice as she continued to watch the birds through the window.

"I shall not subject you to the details. Just know," she said in a low voice, "that after that encounter, my innocence was gone." Lyra gave a humorless laugh, her eyes dead, void of emotion. "When they were _satisfied,_ I was thrown to the ground. They were going to dispose of me," she whispered, "but I landed next to my equipment pouch. While those bastards were slapping each other on the back, I leapt up and attacked the first one."

Venom filled her voice as she continued. "They died without excess pain, as I cut their throats swiftly. More than the disgusting creatures deserved."

As she looked back at Tsunade and Kakashi, she encountered their horrified stares. "They… raped you?" Tsunade managed to choke out. "What the hell? What the _hell?"_ She stood up from her chair and punched the nearest wall, leaving a gaping hole that gave a picturesque view of the terrified civilians outside. "Lyra, look at me. Are you telling the _absolute truth?_ I swear, if you fabricated this story, you shall not live to see tomorrow."

Lyra seemed unaffected by the blonde woman's threat. "It doesn't surprise me that you second-guess my story, as you most likely knew these men personally. But," she said clearly, looking Tsunade straight in the eye, "I know no one twisted enough to make something like this up."

It was silent for several moments. Kakashi broke the silence. "I believe her." When Tsunade turned to him with a questioning glance, he elaborated. "Although we may disfavor her story because we personally knew the men involved, you have to admit it's plausible. After all, wasn't that particular team deemed suspicious by the Third?"

Tsunade grunted. "Tell me this, Lyra. Why were you so open with your explanation? Why didn't you attempt to hide any of it?"

Lyra was silent for a while, choosing her words carefully. "Because I don't want to be thought of as a victim. If I let it out, then I can let it go."

Tsunade focused on Lyra. "I understand." She motioned for Kakashi to follow her, and strode from the room. Stopping at the doorjamb, she looked over her shoulder at Lyra. "Which is why I believe you." And with that, she was gone.

As Tsunade marched down the hallway, determination in her eyes, Kakashi pulled even with her and sighed. "Tsunade. Why did you accept her statement so easily?"

Tsunade refused to look at him, her march still furious and deliberate. After a minute or so of silence, a forlorn smile appeared on Tsunade's face.

"Because, Kakashi. What that girl said about letting go was exactly what I said when my brother died."

* * *

**Please review! It inspires me(:**


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